Charlotte, N.C., is pushing the FCC to approve the city’s advanced wireless public safety network, arguing that it needs to be in place before thousands of high-profile targets like President Barack Obama arrive for the Democratic Convention.

In a filing at the commission made public Wednesday, Charlotte and Mecklenburg County contend that they meet all the interoperability requirements needed for an FCC waiver that will let public safety officials there light up their network — code named CHARMECK — before the convention starts Sept. 3.

“Since the president of the United States and other key dignitaries will be in attendance, the 700 MHz public safety wireless broadband network is anticipated to be used by thousands of federal agents, state and local first responders to ensure the security of thousands of participants to this worldwide event,” the city wrote in an FCC filing Wednesday.

Charlotte is one of more than 20 governments that applied for a waiver at the commission that will allow them to begin operations of an advanced network that allows police, fire and other public safety officials to seamlessly communicate with each other. Charlotte won a waiver, but the FCC has to approve its plan.

The commission has to grant the waivers after attempts to auction frequencies in what is known as the "D-Block" failed to attract a private bidder willing to meet an auction condition requiring the build out of a nationwide public safety network in a section of the airwaves.

FCC officials said they were reviewing Charlotte’s request, but did not give an estimate on when or if the commission would approve the request.

A call to Charlotte officials was not returned on Wednesday.

This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 5:31 a.m. on February 2, 2012.